The Long Island Nets returned to the court on Wednesday night for their second of a back-to-back showdown with the Motor City Cruise. Entering Wednesday’s game, Long Island has won six of its last eight games. The last time these two teams were on the court, Long Island came away with the win. Despite Tyson Etienne’s history-making night and Nate Williams’ double-double, Long Island would fall to Motor City, 106-104.
Etienne etched his name in the history books, becoming Long Island’s all-time leading
scorer. Etienne passed the 1,156 point mark in his two seasons with Long Island to earn that spot. Tonight’s 15 points were more than enough to get him over that hump and pass Jordan Bowden who played for Long Island earlier this decade. Bowden is now playing in the German league.
After the game, NetsDaily spoke with Etienne on just what this moment meant to him.
“It was super special,” Etienne tells ND. “I’m super grateful to be in that moment. I remember when I was in high school at LUHI (Long Island Lutheran) and practicing at the Nassau Coliseum. I just remember thinking how special it was to be in that building with the history of what’s in this building. To be able to be on a team with my teammates and get to play in such a legendary landmark, and represent the Nets organization at the highest level, I’m extremely grateful to be in this moment, to be etched in history; it’s truly an honor.”
Etienne began with Long Island at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. ND asked Etienne if he could go back in time and tell his younger self something when he was first starting with Long Island. What might that be?
“I would tell myself just keep going,” Etienne tells ND. “Just stay the course. Don’t give up on yourself. Some games are going to be amazing, and some games won’t be as amazing. But you have to keep going. You have to keep waking up and putting the work in day-by-day. You have to keep showing up for your teammates. Keep showing up and keep doing the things in what matters to win. I’d just tell myself to continue to stay focused on winning, and that’s the biggest thing, and just have fun with it.”
Etienne connected on four of his 21 shots. Not the best shooting performance for Etienne by any means. He connected on just three of his 17 tries from deep, which was the worst on the team. However, through it all, Etienne continues to trust his shot during the highest highs and the lowest lows. After the game, Etienne spoke about how important it is to him.
“As a shooter, you have to have faith,” Etienne tells ND. “You have to have confidence that you know ‘I put a lot of work in, man’ every single day on my jump shot. On the court, off the court, I put a lot of work into my jump shot. Sometimes the ball is just not going to fall.
Nate Williams had the best game for Long Island, scoring-wise. He led the team in scoring with 18 points, connecting on eight of his 19 shots, including shooting 50% from three-point range. Williams was a star in this one, finishing with 10 rebounds to walk out of this loss with a double-double. Williams was credited with two assists.
Williams is certainly a player to watch as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches. Whether it be Brooklyn or another NBA squad, Williams is a bona fide candidate for a two-way spot in his final year of eligibility.
Grant Nelson continued to be on a minutes restriction. However, he’s been making the most of the minutes he’s given until the restriction is lifted. He played in just 20 minutes in this one, which was by a big margin, the least amount of time that a starter played in this one. After the game, ND got to catch up with Nelson and ask him how he’s been feeling and when we could see the restrictions get lifted.
“I feel good,” Nelson tells ND. “Been getting better every day. I’m really not sure about the timeline. It kind of depends on how I respond to each game. It’s really on a game-to-game type of thing. It should continue to go up because I’ve been feeling good. Hopefully it’s lifted in no time.”
Nelson finished this one with just eight points, connecting on three of his six shots from the field for 50%. He took a single shot from deep, which he missed. Nelson has always been a decent, 30% shooter in his time at North Dakota State and Alabama. So, what changed and why he doesn’t shoot much from beyond the arc at the professional level?
“I’m really just working through some things and getting my shot right,” Nelson tells ND. “I haven’t hit one on the season, so I’m kind of just getting in the gym and working on that. I’ve been getting downhill, getting to the rim, and scoring pretty well at the rim, so I’m going to continue to do that.”
Nelson also had five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and a whopping three blocks, two of them on back-to-back plays. Nelson is establishing himself as more of a big man by upping his block totals and he told ND that he’s still thinking about is the two-way deal. The NBA Trade Deadline often leads to roster reconstruction.
“For sure,” Nelson said when asked if this was still something he was trying to strive for. “I’m really just trying to get to that next level. I’m going out there and giving it all on the court, and I’m putting it in God’s hands. I’m just going to keep working.”
The second Brooklyn two-way player in Long Island, other than Etienne Chaney Johnson finished with 12 points, connecting on four of his 13 shots. Johnson flirted with a double-double in this one, picking up nine rebounds. The two-way star also had two assists and one block to his credit.
Alex Schumacher, the Nets newest player, connected on two of his three shots for six points, and also had two rebounds and two assists. Coming to Long Island from the Valley Suns in exchange for returning player rights for Jordan Schakel, he spoke with ND about his arrival on the Island…
“I was a little shocked,” Schumacher told ND about finding out he was traded. “At the same time, it’s the game and the business side of it. It was the first time I actually got to see the city, and it was amazing. I’ve never been in New York like this. It was unique too with the snow storm, so I went from straight heat to a snow storm, so it was kind of cool.”
ND also asked Schumacher about his role here and learning under Long Island head coach Mfon Udofia. “I’m another ball-handler, just trying to make everyone’s job a little easier,” Schumacher continues. “Just touching the paint, and spreading out to make everyone get better. So far, from the first day, he just really chimed in on winning. I felt that energy from everyone else, and it was cool to flow right into that.”
Schumacher is also a member of the Swiss national team. “The overseas aspect of it is just fundamentals, not flashy or anything crazy, it’s just everyone on the same page,” Schumacher said about the differences between FIBA and the NBA/G League. “I think going over there and experiencing that opened my mind a little bit more about the game.” Schumacher also has plans to continue to play for the Swiss national team.
“So, there was the August opening, and November, and the end of February,” Schumacher tells ND. “We’re still deciding whether I’m going to do that one or not. Yeah, I think it would be another cool opportunity.”
Looking ahead for Schumacher, his goals for the year are pretty simple. “Definitely postseason talk,” Schumacher continues. “I think that’s a big thing. I think that’s everyone’s mind right now. I think it’s feasible with this group of guys. Me coming in here and trying to learn as much as I can in these first three games, I think the more that we gel, I think we’ll be a good team.”
Long Island’s other FIBA player, Hong Kong’s big man, David Muoka had 14 points, playing one of his best games on Long Island. The 6’11” 25-year-old went 7-of-9, and also picked up five rebounds, three assists, and a block. Tre Scott also had 14 points off the bench in this one. Fellow returning player, Terry Roberts, flirted with a triple-double, tallying 11 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Roberts also picked up a whopping four steals.
The Nets dominated inside during the opening quarter, outscoring the Cruise 22-10 in points in the paint and matching the team’s season high for paint points in a single quarter. Long Island shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the first to take a 30-24 lead. A tightly-contested second quarter featured seven lead changes and ended with the Cruise holding a 56-54 lead.
Long Island went on a 19-6 run in the third quarter before the Cruise responded with an 8-0 run to enter the final frame tied at 79. The Nets used a 14-2 run from 8:25 to 5:58 in the fourth to take an eight-point lead before the Cruise battled back. Johnson’s putback dunk tied the game at 104 with 48 seconds remaining, but Motor City knocked down two free throws to hold on for a 106-104 win. Neither team held a double-digit lead in the game, which featured 13 lead changes.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (9-7) return to the court looking to get back in the win column on Monday, February 2nd, as they welcome the Grand Rapids Gold to the Nassau Coliseum. This game also marks the New York Liberty Affiliation Night, with a heavy Liberty presence expected. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. EST and can be viewed on the NBA G League site and the Gotham Sports app.
